The Mets were generally okay with sending Francisco Alvarez down to Triple-A Syracuse for a little reset.
But during Saturday’s game, things went sideways when he managed to score after Lewis Torrens made a big mistake during a back-pick attempt, which contributed to the Mets’ 5-2 loss to the Reds at Citi Field. Torrens made another miscue later, too, which didn’t help the Mets, who were already facing their second consecutive defeat against Cincinnati.
“We’ve seen instances like that before, it was like a delayed pick to first,” coach Carlos Mendoza mentioned. “Clearly, that decision wasn’t the right one in that moment.”
Defensively, Torrens had been fairly solid this season, tallying only three errors before this game and successfully catching 13 of the 33 runners trying to steal against him.
His batting showed some improvement, going 2-for-3 with a walk on Saturday, but the catcher’s defensive skills are really what the team depends on.
In one play, after TJ Friedl executed a bunt, it looked like Torrens was going to throw behind Noelvi Marte but hesitated. He waited a moment too long before throwing it to Brett Baty, the second baseman. The throw didn’t go as planned and ended up sailing past Baty into right field, allowing Jake Fraley to score easily. Marte managed to make it to third, which quickly erased the Mets’ early 2-0 lead when Mitch McClain hit a single to bring him in.
The back pick wasn’t something Mendoza had designed for the game, indicating it was an unfortunate mix-up.
Torrens has been a bit of a surprise for the Mets since the Yankees let him go last year, though he has yet to secure a full-time role as their catcher. His time split with Alvarez has, in part, been a reaction to the struggles of Alvarez, who is just 23, while trying to maximize Torrens’ chances as he’s 29.
Yet, with Torrens hitting only .167 and an OPS of 0.451 this season, some think it’s only a matter of time before Alvarez gets called back up. Mendoza had indicated that a return could happen any time, especially since Alvarez hit his sixth home run in just four games, and the eleventh in 17 games with Syracuse.
When Alvarez returns, the competition for the catching position will be back in full swing. Torrens’ recent mistakes are certainly not doing him any favors.
“We didn’t execute some plays,” Mendoza commented on the defensive error. “We gave them an extra base, an extra out, and you know, that can cost us in the long run.”
